In March 2018, we became a bit obsessed with the story of Colin Firth, his wife Livia Giuggioli Firth, and her lover Marco Brancaccia. We learned of Livia’s lover first at that time, when Colin and Livia went to the Italian police to say that Marco had been stalking and harassing them following a brief, passionate affair between Livia and Marco. As it turned out, Marco and Livia were old school friends, and the official story was that Colin and Livia had a brief separation. During that separation Livia and Marco’s affair happened, she cut him off and reconciled with Colin, then Marco started stalking and harassing them. Marco admitted to writing a letter to Colin, telling him all about the affair, just as Marco also sold his story to a few tabloids in Britain and Italy.
The whole thing was messy, and I always thought Colin was a gentleman for going along with the “we were briefly separated” story, and for using his money and fame to protect his cheating wife from an ex-lover who was obsessed with her. Unfortunately, the situation didn’t bode well for the state of their marriage long-term – Livia reportedly found marriage to Colin Firth to be somewhat “stale.” And so, obviously, they’re getting formally separating now.
Colin Firth and his wife Livia Firth have split, PEOPLE can confirm.
“Colin and Livia Firth have separated. They maintain a close friendship and remain united in their love for their children,” reps for the pair tell PEOPLE in a statement. “They kindly ask for privacy. There will be no further comment.”
The announcement comes almost two years since the actor, 59, and Livia revealed that she had a relationship with another man while the two were briefly separated. The pair were most recently photographed together in September, while attending the Green Carpet Fashion Awards during the Milan Fashion Week. They share sons Luca, 18, and Matteo, 16.
Yep, not a surprise. Livia and Colin made a lot of sense together, and of course he benefited from having such a classy image – that of a dapper British gentleman, married to a beautiful Italian woman, and having such a strong, long-lasting marriage. But I could see how that image might grate on both of them. Oh, well. Colin Firth is single, ladies. Mr. Darcy is ready to be courted.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Such a shame but I think the damage was too much to be able to heal.
He fathered a child by a former girlfriend and had a relationship with his Lizzy Bennet (Jennifer Elle).
@Swan Lake Weren’t both of those relationships long before his marriage? His relationship with Jennifer Ehle was around the time of the movie, around 25 yrs ago now.
The mother of Colin’s eldest child is Meg Tilly. They met on the set of Valmount.
And both of those relationships happened LONG before his marriage, so what’s your point?
Oh no! He had TWO previous girlfriends before he married? *clutches pearls*
His ex was Meg Tilly. Jennifer Tilly’s sister and also an actress herself. He never married or settled down but he did with Livia. I never heard any rumors that he cheated and it looks like people who actually know and worked with him can vouch for that.
Maybe he can move to Portugal and write a book.
Well sign me up then for housekeeping services!
🙂
Yeah, me too.
Also, I’m a dam good cook and baker. However, can’t swim for beans. Might need saving.
Sigh Mr. Darcy, my high school crush, is single I may need to swoon…
Best response 😂
He’s getting a little long in the tooth for me now but he looked pretty good when he made Love Actually.
It’s the glasses. My dad used to wear glasses like that (50’s 60’s). Colin if you can see, don’t wear the glasses. Makes him look old but yes he was yummy in Love Actually. I didn’t think he was much to look at in P&P.
Hehe😅😅😅
Lol
Watch out for the eels!
I’ll back up his work for him to make sure he doesn’t lose anything 🙂
Yes please! Colin Firth all day, every day!
Not surprising.
I’m surprised this didn’t happen sooner.
That whole mess seemed like a lot of pain for anyone to endure. Hopefully Colin finds happiness.
Not shocking. But women live Colin so he will find love again I’m sure.
I think Colin has already found the love of many women. I don’t believe only Livia took a lover or two during their marriage. I think Colin stepped out as well, and she had receipts – thus he couldn’t very well throw her under the bus for the misfortune of having gotten involved with a psychopath. But exposing the holes in their “perfect” marriage – that was unforgivable (not the infidelity itself), thus the very predictable split a respectable amount of time after her “sordid affair.”
That’s quite an unfair assumption to make considering there’s no evidence he was ever unfaithful.
Polly, agree.
Oh, Pollyanna, he’s had quite the reputation. Sure did even back when I worked on his film sets. And hit on me relentlessly. It’s quite an assumption to assume I’m making an assumption.
Yeah, right, “Enny”, of course, we believe you.
Believe me or not, I don’t care. He’s not Mr. Darcy in real life. He’s not even Mark Darcy. And I have actual first-hand experience which, I gather, you do not. You don’t want your fantasy of a character shattered; I am, however, a former production supervisor/ current lawyer, and if it’s “evidence” you seek that Colin Firth has had plenty of non-marital sex, well, it’s there. If you don’t want it from me, ask anyone else who ever worked for him.
@Enny
It’s ok Enny, they want to keep their Mr Darcy fantasy intact. Ppl BTS have seen it & actually Weinstein provided a lot of pu**y for CF during his award season campaign & when it all came crashing down for Weinstein, there was a quiet panic Firth could get caught up in it. Colin Firth’s presentation as an English gentleman definitely strengthens the ladies’ incredulity
Am I alone in thinking he seems smug and entirely unappealing?
ETA, Enny I believe you. Everything about him says dude who wasn’t getting laid until he found success and now makes up for lost time as a creeper.
I don’t even think he’s a bad guy, honestly. From my time in the industry he probably doesn’t even crack the top 25 of the horny, entitled stars I worked with closely. I do side eye the hell out of his carefully crafted “my wife has made an egregious error but I’m handling her betrayal with class and grace out of love and respect for my family,” knowing what I do about his extra-marital sexy times. I think he knew he couldn’t completely throw her under the bus, but there was a cold distance to his support that seemed very “she made her bed, now she can lie in it,” despite him saying nothing overtly negative in the press. It angered me, knowing that his hands weren’t clean, either, she just got caught in a very public scandal, and he didn’t. Helps that he, as a star, has much better PR – personally, as well as at the studio level. Keep the “talent” clean, pure, and unblemished for the movie-goers, leave the nasty whore wife to twist in the wind. Politely. With “love and respect.” Never sat right with me.
That’s unfortunate, Enny, but usually these sorts of events presage a break in the proverbial dam. In the end, there are no secrets, right?
Dirty laundry always gets hung out to dry.
It’s best to be well behaved in life.
I had them split already in my head. This just seems a formality.
Yes. I thought they had actually quietly filed once the news died down.
I heard her speak at a conference one time years ago, for her own work, and the connection to Colin’s greater star power, when she was asked about it, seemed to rankle her. Who knows what really went on, but I thought uh-oh even then…
It should have rankled her.
I know I realized after I wrote this that I misrepresented it — someone asked her nicely about something they’d done together, not about his star power, but her rankling spilled over. But yes, if asked in the way it sounded of course, rankling ho. Anyhoo, stepping out now…
Why does everything men do have to be presented as having an ulterior motive?
My sister and I have already started fighting over him 🙂 Of course the fact that we’re both happily married has entered into that equation yet lol!
After listening Helena Bonham Carter say that Colin never shuts up and constantly talks, I got the feeling he’s a bit of a bore. I for one cannot take constant talkers. But I’m sure he’ll find plenty of willing women.
Right?! People that need to fill the air is so grating.
There is something to be said for that thing we call a comfortable silence…
Isn’t Colin the son of a diplomat? The “making conversation” is probably in his DNA.
I call them ‘stream of consciousness’ talkers. Rambling on and on from one topic to the next without pausing to breath. Or let anyone else give input. They can carry on a conversation with themselves and even, in one person I know, keep talking to themselves after you leave the room. I’m not saying Colin is like this. Just describing a few people I know personally. And to me, as an introvert, I dont just find these people boring, I find them utterly exhausting. They make me want to run away and find a quiet place to take a nap.
People like that drive me crazy. And they don’t seem to take the hint when you’re not engaging in the conversation, they just keep going. Good conversationalists interact with people and find some mutual ground. The people who just chatter on about whatever they want and tell stories about themselves make me want to jump off a cliff.
I have a SIL who simply cannot stop talking, it’s unbearable. I avoid her at all costs. I’m not saying CF is or isn’t that way.
I volunteer as tribute.
It sounds like they honestly tried to recover and were not able to do so. I hope they both find happiness in their new paths.
Well I think Colin handled himself with grace during the whole situation and I don’t doubt that the divorce will as quiet as possible.
That dress looks like something Wilma Flintstone would wear.
Right? It’s…strange.
I am okay with stale Colin!!!!!!
We’ll take him! He’s stale, I’m fun, it’s a perfect match. A smart, dapper man is hard to find these days.
I have to say they handled the sordid affair with her former paramour quite well but it was only a matter of time. He strikes me as a bore and a bit stuck up snob, not at all like his characters.
Wow the judgement of some in this thread assuming it’s all HIS fault when theres little to no proof of it. IF he also cheated why isn’t there stories,leakes or interviews with his mistresses?? I believe helena bonhams Carter’s comments about him being dull and too talkative and coupled with his introverted personality I doubt he’s a Jeremy irons type philanderer
I believe she felt trapped by his success/fame and it didnt sustain the relationship for long even with kids. I myself liked how he supported her after her lover’s blackmailing which colin found out at last minute when the authorities were being informed.
I wish them well. Both wont have trouble to find someone
When I heard he was single, all I could hear was Mrs. Bennett’s “Netherfield Park is let at last!” (Yes, I know Darcy lived at Pemberley.) Damn, now I want to spend the next six hours watching Pride & Prejudice.
I’d like to take a bite of some stale Colin Firth; I could chew on that for A WHILE.
I may sound like a massive dick here, but all I can focus on is that COLIN FIRTH IS SINGLE!! Whoohooo!! And his wife is a moron.
So. If you had to choose. Hugh Grant or Colin Firth? (I’m afraid I’m gonna have to go with Hugh. He seems so funny and quick-witted!)
Hugh, all the way, all the time!
I can’t pick, so its a Firth-Grant sandwich for me
Wow that’s not fair!!! If we could pick Hugh from like 15 years ago, def Hugh, but if we had to pick present day appearance – def Collin.
I dunno about Hugh. One day he just started looking old! The last film where he looked like himself was Love Actually. Then I saw him in Flo Jenkins and was shocked how much he aged.
For a good entertaining evening Hugh is it though since it seems like Colin sounds boring (no offense).
Sounds like he has better PR than she. I am guessing it’s his folks who are leading the public to believe her cheating was the cause for the breakdown in the marriage.
People believe the actors characters ARE the actual actors themselves, eg, BILL COSBY.
It’s sad for their family, but they did have a long marriage, and it sounds like they haven’t been happy together for a while. Hopefully they will continue to get along well for their kids sake.
1. I never understood his appeal. All these comments about how people are fighting over him are pretty bizarre to me.
2. This was probably the plan all along. Wait out the drama and then quietly file. I think they probably had some kind of agreement and the story about the “break” or whatever was for his image. This is why he was pretty cool about everything because he wasn’t “wronged.”
I do not understand cheating when married. I am not being naive, for me married is married. Either work thru your problems or part ways. And no cheating. Wait until you are divorced to take up with someone new. Behave like a decent Adult, especially if there are children.
Yes, I am the Ex-wife of a cheater. And yes, I repeatedly declared before marriage that cheating was a deal breaker with no 2nd chance. The Ex-Husband is currently on his 4th marriage and yes, he has cheated on all, generally with the one who thinks she can “change” him andshe simply becomes the next Ex.
It is ugly and dysfunctional and truly sad for the assorted children.
I don’t get why this guy gets any hate. I don’t tend to believe anonymous people’s comments on the internet (LOL) about his supposedly numerous torrid affairs, but even if he did have an affair it doesn’t excuse or make her behavior any less appalling. If he was cheating on her (which I don’t believe) she should have just divorced him and not act in the horrible way that she did. So whatever happened before her sexcapades in Italy, her behavior was still wrong.